U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus Judith G. Garber visited the Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics (CING) on June 11, 2020. Ambassador Garber met with Chief Executive Medical Director Professor Leonidas Phylactou, CING board chair Ioannis Matsis, and board members Prof. Leondios Kostrikis and Mr. Peter Papanicolaou. She toured the facility and congratulated staff on their efforts to fight the spread of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
CING is a private, non-profit, bicommunal medical, research and academic center which was founded with $10 million of U.S. government development aid funding. The U.S. Embassy is pleased to maintain the ongoing U.S. partnership with CING. During the COVID-19 outbreak, CING has been a national leader in testing for the virus. CING and the microbiology departments of public hospitals have tested more than 130,000 people, giving the Republic of Cyprus one of the highest per capita rates of testing in the world.
Ambassador Garber commended the many contributions CING has made to medicine, research, and education in Cyprus since its founding, saying “I have been inspired to see how successful Cyprus has been in fighting COVID-19, and the contributions of the scientists at CING have played a major part in slowing the spread of the virus. I am honored to be able to tour this state-of the art facility today, and personally offer my gratitude for the life-saving work that it performs. The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics is an extraordinary example of successful U.S.-Cyprus cooperation. The United States has a strong tradition as a global health leader, including more than $1 billion in government aid to fight COVID-19 and its consequences worldwide, and billions more in private donations. I look forward to continuing to work together with CING and the Republic of Cyprus to protect and improve the health of all our citizens.”